All walks › Eryri: Ogwen and the Carneddau
Eryri: Ogwen and the CarneddauLôn Las Ogwen
Surfaced route on the old slate railway from the sea at Bangor up the Ogwen valley to Bethesda, climbing gently the whole way.
- Distance
- 6.2 mi / 10 km
- Time
- 3 hr 5
- Ascent
- 180 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- There and back
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Follow the path from Porth Penrhyn up the valley to Bethesda. Surfaced and on railway gradients, so steady rather than steep.
Worth knowing
- The path follows the Penrhyn Quarry Railway, which carried slate down to the port for shipping worldwide.
- Mostly surfaced, so usable with a pushchair for much of its length.
- Downhill on the way back, which is the sensible direction.
What you’ll see
The Ogwen river, the old railway formation, and the Carneddau ahead.
Background
Porth Penrhyn was built by the Pennant family to ship slate, and the railway to Bethesda opened in 1801.